Chicago, Illinois (CNN) - L. Bernard Jakes, the pastor at West Point Baptist Church, has come out in support of a gay marriage bill in the Illinois legislature. He has the support of a majority of his congregation, but not of his fellow pastors.

[2:15] “I’ve definitely been criticized. There are many that have bastardized me, said that I was going to hell on social media. There was even one radio station that encouraged their listeners to call here to the church and tell me I was going to hell.”

The Illinois senate approved a gay marriage bill in February, but it has gotten stalled in the house, where it is short of having enough votes to pass. Legislators are expected to take up the measure again in the fall, and the traditionally liberal black caucus in the state house has emerged as an important voting block.

Caucus members are facing pressure from black pastors both in favor and opposed to gay marriage, even though only two of the caucus’ legislators have so far come out in support of gay marriage.

Editor's Note: Listen to the full story in our player above, and join the conversation in our comments section below.

Los Angeles (CNN) - This week the United States Supreme Court will hear arguments over the constitutionality of California’s ban on same-sex marriage; otherwise known as Proposition 8.

Robin Tyler and her wife Diane Olson became the first same-sex couple in California to legally marry there. Tyler calls Prop 8 the shot heard ‘round the world:

[0:31] “Because for the first time in American history they took people out of a Constitution.”

It all started with the passage of law in California in 2000 that restricted marriage only to opposite-sex couples. But in 2004, then San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, citing the equal protection clause of the U-S Constitution, ignored the new law and began marrying same-sex couples on Valentine’s Day:

[1:59] “I wanna stop discrimination," Newsom said at the time. FULL POST

Editor's Note: On March 26th and 27th, the US Supreme Court will hear two key cases regarding same-sex marriage. Every Monday and Tuesday in March, CNN Radio will feature stories about issues related to same-sex marriage.

Listen to the full story in our player above, and join the conversation in our comments section below.

(CNN) - So far nine states have legalized same sex marriages, none of them in the South. As part of our same sex marriage series we reached out to our audience to find out what it's like to be gay or lesbian in the South.

What we discovered was surprising.

The gays and lesbians who spoke to us all love living in the South despite its somewhat hostile climate towards them.

Many of them agree with the sentiment of Brandon, a 25-year-old gay man from Boone, North Carolina, who told CNN he prefers life in a small town rather than moving to a bigger city that may be more accepting of gays and lesbians:

[2:23] "The city isn't for everyone. There are plenty of gay guys who still live in the South because it's home to them, it's what they're familiar with. They fit in better there as the construction worker, the truck driver, the farmer, whatever. We're not all going to be photographers, artists, models, city dwelling...sophisticates."

All this week you can hear more of these stories on CNN Radio News Day, posting each day by 4:30 Eastern.

Editor's Note: On March 26th and 27th, the US Supreme Court will hear two key cases regarding same-sex marriage. Every Monday and Tuesday in March, CNN Radio will feature stories about issues related to same-sex marriage.

Listen to the full story in our player above, and join the conversation in our comments section below.

(CNN) - As the Supreme Court prepares to consider two landmark same sex marriage cases, gay rights advocates are targeting New Jersey. Their goal: to override Governor Christie's veto of a bill that would have legalized marriages for same sex couples.

Troy Stevenson, executive director of the gay rights organization Garden State Equality claims they are getting closer to achieving their goal with each passing day.

[2:10] "We need 27 in the Senate and 54 in the Assembly to override... we need 3 more Senators and 12 more Assembly people," said Stevenson. FULL POST

Editor's Note: On March 26th and 27th, the US Supreme Court will hear two key cases regarding same-sex marriage. Every Monday and Tuesday in March, CNN Radio will feature stories about issues related to same-sex marriage.

Listen to the full story in our player above, and join the conversation in our comments section below.

Lansing, Michigan(CNN) - Marie Wolfe says she and her partner of four years, Becky, were as in love as any straight couple when they decided to start a family. Gay marriage is illegal in Michigan, but the couple exchanged rings and used a sperm donor so that Becky could get pregnant. Marie had always wanted kids, even before Becky, but couldn't have them herself.

The couple became the proud parents of twins, a boy and a girl, and three months after they were born Becky (whose name has been changed to protect her identity) and Marie went before a Michigan judge. Becky absolved her parental rights and with the help of an adoption agency and the judge the two adopted the children together.

Marie says they were given a state-issued adoption certificate and a new birth certificate with both of their names on them.